crepe de Chine
1
8.8
- noun
- /kreɪp də ʃiːn/
- Specialized
:
crepé de Chine
- It was a bit of sly fortune she knew not to squander, and took off as soon as she could, hauling her entire wealth hopes, tonics, crepe de Chine to her sister's in Winston-Salem.
Examples
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She wore a beautiful crepe de Chine dress to the party, and everyone admired its delicate texture.
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Or her new white crepe de Chine jumpsuit.
Fiction book (1991) -
We can do a silk charmeuse or a crepe de Chine.
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The designer chose crepe de Chine for the evening gown, as its lightweight fabric draped elegantly.
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I love how soft and smooth the crepe de Chine feels against my skin when I wear my new blouse.
Synonyms
5
5.8
A soft lightweight fabric with a slightly wrinkled surface used for clothes
How Crinkled
Surface Forms
Morphology
crepe + de + Chine
The components literally read as 'crepe of China' so a learner who knows 'crepe' and understands 'de' (of) and 'Chine' (China) could infer it refers to a kind of crepe fabric associated with China. However, this is a borrowed French label for a specific lightweight silk/silklike crepe and the precise technical sense (silk, fine weave, slightly crinkled texture) is specialized and not fully predictable, so the transparency is partial.
Etymology
The noun crepe de Chine comes from French: crepe means a slightly crinkled cloth and de Chine means 'from China'. So the name gives a clear picture of a very thin, soft silk with small crinkles, which is why it refers to the light, flowing fabric used in dresses and blouses.